The New York Times launched game #938 of its daily word puzzle Strands, featuring the skin-themed puzzle “It’s skin deep” on Sunday, September 27, 2026. Players using the NYT Games site or mobile app encountered a board centered on topical skincare products, anchored by the ten-letter spangram BEAUTYCARE spanning from the fifth row on the left to the fourth row on the right.
Decoding the Skin-Deep Theme and Spangram
According to the New York Times puzzle design, today’s board relies on items commonly found in retail spaces like Sephora. The puzzle board required solvers to connect letters traveling in any direction without reusing any single letter.
Players unlocked the in-game hint system by submitting non-theme words of four letters or more, including terms such as SUET, CLEAR, TRACE, STIR, RAISE, ROUTE, and NOSE. Submitting three non-theme words illuminates the “Hint” button, highlighting the letter order of a theme word for struggling players.
Complete List of NYT Strands Game #938 Answers
The solution set for game #938 comprises five theme words alongside the primary spangram. TechRadar reviewer metrics rated the puzzle as “Easy” after identifying the top-left anchor word SUNSCREEN immediately. The complete verified answer list includes:
- SUNSCREEN (Located in the upper left corner)
- MOISTURIZER (Located in the lower left section)
- CLEANSER (Unlocked alongside the spangram path)
- SERUM (Positioned below the start of the spangram)
- TONER (Located in the bottom left area)
- BEAUTYCARE (Spangram: 10 letters, touching the left 5th row to the right 4th row)
Comparative Analysis With Adjacent Puzzles
Compared to Saturday, September 26, 2026 (game #937), which focused on atmospheric terms with the spangram GENTLEWIND covering words like BREEZE, ZEPHYR, GUST, WHIFF, PUFF, FLURRY, and CURRENT, Sunday’s puzzle shifted entirely to personal care commodities. This lifestyle pivot contrasts with Monday, September 29, 2026 (game #939), which tested art materials under the theme “A form of art” and featured the spangram SOAPSTONE after a Sculpture Media category appeared in the companion Connections game.
Frequently Asked Questions About NYT Strands
What time does a new NYT Strands puzzle release?
A new puzzle appears at midnight each day local to the player’s time zone, meaning rollout times vary globally.
How do you unlock hints in NYT Strands?
Players must submit three non-theme words of at least four letters each to illuminate the hint button and reveal letter clusters for a valid theme word.
Can you fail an NYT Strands game?
No, players cannot run out of guesses. Invalid or short submissions simply shake back and forth, allowing unlimited attempts until all words are found.
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